A liberal religious community

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About Wy'east

Our Mission: We are an open religious community for people of all ages. We gather for renewal and fellowship. Our spiritual search is joyful, compassionate, and curious. Together we strive to bend the world towards love, truth, and justice.

As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, we operate as a democratic organization, in accordance with the 5th UU Principle: "The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large." Every member of our congregation has a vote in congregational matters. Our Board of Trustees is democratically elected from the membership. You can learn more about being a member on our membership page.

Wy'east Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Wy'east and is entrusted with the responsibility for the development, management, and application of policies and procedures. The Board is composed of five members who serve offset two-year terms. Trustees are elected by the congregation each year at its Annual Meeting. For current information about the Board's activities, see the Board Minutes. Our current board is:

Daniale Lynch: Moderator

Emé Alter: Vice Moderator

Marcy Sullwold: Secretary

Mathias Quackenbush: Treasurer

Diana Scheel: At Large

Wy'east History

Wy'east Unitarian Universalist Congregation was formed in 1996, growing out of the desire for a small, diverse East Portland church with a strong sense of community. We celebrated our official birth as a congregation with a Charter Sunday service in April of 1997. Wy'east continues the over 140-year tradition of liberal religion in Portland.

The Name "Wy'east"

The name "Wy'east" derives from a Northwest Indian legend that relates the origins of the geography of the Pacific Northwest to a tragic love triangle involving the Klickitat chief Pahto, the Multnomah chief Wy'east and the maiden Loo-wit, over whom the chiefs quarreled. This quarrel grew so fierce that the Great Spirit had to intervene, destroying the Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia and turning Loo-wit into Mount St. Helens, Pahto into Mt. Adams, and Wy'east into Mount Hood, the peak that dominates Portland's eastern horizon and gives us our sense of place.